Russia’s first domestically built ice-class liquefied natural gas (LNG) tanker is approaching the Arctic LNG 2 plant, a project under Western sanctions.

Ship-tracking data reviewed by Bloomberg shows the LNG tanker Alexey Kosygin has completed its first voyage across the eastern part of the Northern Sea Route and is preparing to dock at the Novatek-led Arctic LNG 2 terminal.

Once it arrives, the vessel will become only the second ice-class tanker to load LNG at the plant.

The Alexey Kosygin has an Arc-7 ice-class rating, the highest available, allowing it to operate in thick Arctic ice.

Until now, the only tanker capable of loading LNG at Arctic LNG 2 during winter has been the Christophe de Margerie.

Arctic LNG 2 is intended to be Russia’s largest LNG project and is central to the country’s plan to triple LNG production to 100 million tonnes per year and secure a 20% share of the global LNG market.

The addition of another ice-class tanker could support LNG exports during winter, when ice restricts access for most vessels.

The project has a design capacity of nearly 20 million tonnes per year.

LNG production began at the end of 2023, but exports only started in the summer of 2024 after Western sanctions delayed shipments.

During winter, thick ice along the Northern Sea Route means only vessels with reinforced hulls can load cargo at Arctic LNG 2.

Most LNG carriers servicing the project are not designed for these conditions, and Western sanctions have made it difficult to obtain more ice-class vessels.

As a result, Arctic LNG 2 stopped loading LNG during the winter of 2023–24.

According to a person familiar with the situation, natural gas production at fields supplying the plant dropped to about 1 million cubic metres per day in November and December.

By contrast, production averaged 9.3 million cubic metres per day last month, which may suggest preparations to resume loading operations with the arrival of the Alexey Kosygin.

The tanker was built at the Zvezda shipyard in Russia’s Far East. Domestic construction of ice-class LNG tankers has taken longer than planned due to limited experience.

The Alexey Kosygin was originally scheduled for delivery in March 2023.

Reference: Bloomberg